Thursday, November 29, 2007

USE OF MANDARIN AND CHINESE EDUCATION

SUPP elected Members and Ministers in the Sarawak Legislative Assembly should understand the importance of preserving one’s culture and the need to use the Mandarin language as Chinese formed the second largest population in this country. Even though the unpleasant Hokkien word, “Cheymei” was directed at our DAP Chairman, Wong Ho Leng, in the course of a debate by Member from Pelawan, YB Vincent Goh Chung Siong, DAP is not perturbed by such word, because, we in DAP as clarified by our DAP Chairman, are not “cheymei”. We are not blind to the needs and suffering of the people.

SUPP needs to understand that the issue of education that had been hovering over our heads was not a recent matter, but, had been inherited by us from our great forefathers soon after they landed in this soil over a hundred years ago. Likewise were the Indians, they also inherited this issue from their forefathers who came from India and Pakistan. Both our Chinese and Indian population together with the malays then grew in numbers and when Malaysia was formed, the forefathers of these three races, sat down together to draft the Federal Constitution. It is in this Federal Constitution that our forefathers wished that this country will forever be a peaceful country and that we as their descendants, will forever live harmoniously, with each race respecting each other.

SUPP leaders should follow us in the DAP and should no more ignore the spirit and importance of the Federal Constitution.


PROTECTION UNDER FEDERAL CONSTITUTION

If SUPP read the Federal Constitution with magnifying glasses they will find for themselves that Article 12 allows the maintenance of educational institutions by public authority and also allows the provisions of funds out of a public authority from the purpose of education within or outside the Federation. Further, it is also clearly stated in Article 12, unless the generality in Article 8 applies, there should not be any discrimination against anyone in the field of education. Article 8 clearly speaks on non-discrimination against all persons.

Therefore, education is a responsibility of the government of the day and this burden should not be thrown to the community itself as to do so would be considered as discrimination against the particular community. Therefore, the government of the day under the Constitution has a legal, political and moral obligations to see the advancement of education of all races and the development of mother tongue languages and not for the education or mother tongue of one race alone. We in the DAP had in all these years been fighting hard to ensure that education and use of mother tongue languages of all races be maintained, protected and advanced and be provided for by this BN government and it is regretted that for 44 years since achieving independence and 37 years in the government, SUPP had done very little to achieve this.

SUPP also needs to be told that it is provided under Article 152 (1)(a) of the Federal Constitution that no person shall be prohibited or prevented from using or from teaching or learning other languages. Article 152(1)(a) if read together with Article 12 of the Federal Constitution, definitely goes also to the constitutional rights of the use, learning and teaching of own mother tongue language!

SUPP should also examine the operation of Article 152(1)(b) of the Federal Constitution which gives the government both the Federal and the State to preserve, and sustain the use and study of the language of any community, and this definitely includes the preservation, study and use of any Chinese dialects and the mandarin language. Therefore, if SUPP all these years had co-operated well with DAP, our Chinese and Indian communities could by now got the much needed annual government grants for Chinese and Indian education of mother tongues.

Now, who is “cheymei”, DAP or SUPP?

SUPP leaders could either be pretending to be blind, deaf and dumb when touching on the use the Mandarin language and Chinese education. We should do our utmost to promote the language and Chinese education so as in line with the concept of a multi-racial, multi-ethics and multi-religious society.
Being a multi-racial party, they should also supported the move made by DAP to have full-fledged dayak schools in the State at least up to primary 6 level.

SUPP should also take note nationwide, Chinese primary school fell from 1,288 in 1990 to 1,287 in the year 2005 although there was an increase of enrolment of students from 581,082 to 645,699 in the past 15 years. It is also regretted that SUPP was very helpless when the Deputy Education Minister, Datuk Noh Omar, told Parliament in September, 2007 that the Education Ministry had no plan to build any Chinese primary school under the Ninth Malaysia Plan. The Chinese community should blame this on SUPP!

If states like Sabah, Kelantan, Malacca, Penang, Perak, Kedah and Selangor could give annual grants in various forms to support Chinese-type schools and education, there is no reason why our Sarawak State government wishes not to give such much needed grant to the Chinese Community if SUPP had solicited these grants from the State government. SUPP should understand, Kelantan could even allocated 1000 acres of land in Lojing Highland to the management authority of the Chinese secondary schools in Kelantan.


USE OF MANDARIN IN DEWAN UNDANGAN SITTING
Therefore, SUPP should also understand that there is nothing wrong for DAP to raise the issue of using the Mandarin language in the Dewan Undangan Negri sittings and SUPP should have supported this move, but, SUPP were too scared to be sacked from by the State BN and instead accused that DAP had wanted to raise racial issues. Being a multi-racial party, DAP has a heart for every Malaysian. DAP would not and never will create racial tension and disrupt racial harmony in the country.

SUPP also needs to understand that since Standing Order No. 5 of the Standing Orders of the Dewan Undangan Negeri also provide for the use of native languages in debates of the Dewan Undangan Negeri, then, there is no reason why Mandarin should not be proposed and allowed as a language for debates in the Dewan Undangan Negeri. There are presently about 16 out of 71 ADUNs who are Chinese and SUPP has the most numbers of Chinese representatives in the current Dewan and there should be nothing to have SUPP hold on not to fight for the right of the mandarin language to be used in the Dewan debate.

SUPP should understand that section 4 of the Standing Orders of the Council Negeri made by His Excellency the Governor in existence of powers conferred upon His Excellency by subsection (2) section 33 of the Sarawak (Constitution) Orders in Council, 1956 confers the right to a Honourable Member of the august House to address in any other language and interpretation be allowed when as directed by the Speaker.

However, it is regretted that the presence of SUPP in the government and in the DEWAN had not only diluted the use of the Mandarin language, which at once time been allowed, but, had caused it from being abolished! SUPP had been in the Dewan earlier that the DAP and should have stopped the standing order from being amended so as to keep in line with the wishes of our forefathers that drafted the Federal Constitution. For this, there is nothing wrong for Sarawak Chinese to put blame on SUPP.

SUPP needs to understand that the drafters of the Federal Constitution had allowed the use and learning of all languages, but, to treat Bahasa Malaysia as the national language was with the view to maintain multiracialism and equality in this country. SUPP should not be blind to know that the our forefathers as drafters of the Federal Constitution was with the foresight that if rights and race are not treated equally, there would one day be chaos and plunder in this country.

Both YB Tan Sri Dr. George Chan and YB Dato’ Wong Soon Koh’s speeches in the Dewan about their Party’s stand clearly showed that SUPP is against the use of the Mandarin language in the Dewan and this definitely was against the spirit of the Federal Constitution and against the wishes of our forefathers who wanted to perpetuate a peaceful society. SUPP would one day regret that the slow and systematic process of the BN government in which SUPP is a partner, to deny the rights of other races to practice their culture and language by its inequality policy may cause unrest and bloodshed.


WHY RIGHTS NOT TAKEN AWAY IN CONSTITUTION
SUPP leaders should wake up and understand that although both the Alliance and the BN governments led by UMNO which never failed to attain two-thirds majority in Parliament since independence which could, by this, allowed UMNO to easily amend the Federal Constitution to abolish the rights of other Malaysian races from learning other languages including mother languages of all races in the Country, but, did not do so was a clear indication that UMNO knew that such rights as enshrined in the Federal Constitution, if abolished, could then, turn this country in anarchy.

UMNO knew that it has to preserve this right in the Federal Constitution and only took the political approach to slowly but systematically deny this right of others by way of imposing various policies that had undermined the use and development of languages and cultures of other races in Malaysia. Therefore, why SUPP all these years had no guts to speak for the right of the Chinese people seeking the use of the Mandarin language and other Chinese dialects to be used in the Dewan debates at least?


BRAIN DRAIN IN SUPP
SUPP needs to understand that there are many brilliant brains in SUPP, who could only speak mandarin and chinese dialects, but, not English or Bahasa Malaysia very well. SUPP leaders like Dr. George Chan and Soon Koh should not deny that there are among those within SUPP who could not speak Bahasa Malaysia or English, but, are equally good if not more brilliant than many English and Bahasa Malaysia speaking leaders within the Party. The policy stand taken by SUPP to deny the use of Mandarin in the Dewan and also in other official functions therefore went on to deny these Mandarin speaking comrades of theirs from being considered as election materials. These comrades of theirs could also help the people and the State of Sarawak to greater heights and prosperity.

To those comrades who just could command the mandarin language and other dialects, SUPP could only boast to keep them as kapitan, penghulu, pemanca and temenggong and there is no little wonder that small township area like Kenyalang Park, Kuching, has several kapitans, who operates from no office at all! This had brought shame to the community because without office to locate them, many if not most Chinese in the community do no know who these kapitans, penghulu, pemancha and temenggong were.

Is not this another “chemey” that deprived the people of Sarawak the benefit of more brilliant people to help run this State for the common good of all?
SUPP please think and work together for the common good of all Malaysians with Malaysian First Concept.

Sunday, November 11, 2007

UMNO SUPREMACY VERSUS PEOPLE SUPREMACY


UMNO’s ability to lead this country since independence was its ability to capitalize on Ketuanan Melayu or Malay supremacy. Each time when there was a political crisis in the country, UMNO would come out to paint a picture that Malay rights were under seiged and has to be protected. The raising of the Kris in UMNO General Assembly was in the hope that Malays will forever be united under UMNO. If this could be the idea behind it, I would say UMNO Youth would be wrong! Both Hishamuddin Hussein and Khairy Jamaluddin are wrong in their way of displaying of Malay Supremacy over other races with the hope that all Malays could be united under UMNO. They are wrong because there are increasing numbers of Malays who do not wish to be united under UMNO despite the show of the Kris and despite the inflamatory skills of the orators in UMNO Assembly. The show of Ketuanan Melayu to them which they knew had and will not give them equality and justice and will also not make them Tuan or Masters over other races because the evils of NEP had haunted or deprived them of their rights and instead they became more bold to challenge UMNO.

Hishamuddin Hussein and Khairy Jamaluddin must understand that it would be bad and ugly if each race comes up with their own traditional weapon - the Chinese come up with a Kwang-Tow and the Dayaks with a Parang Ilang, Penans with the blowpipe (and so other races) in gatherings and assemblies and come to say that they were only showing off their cultural heritage and tradition. By showing and wavering these weapons they can like UMNO Youths tell people that it was nothing more than a symbolic gesture that they regarded themselves as protectors of their own race when knowing very well these could be very provocative and are symbols and show of aggression.
We don't need Hang Jebat, Hang Tuah, Rentap and Huang Fei Hung to rule this country! We need leaders like Tunku Abdul Rahman and Mahatma Ghandi who could unite people of all races and people of all walks of life, gained independence without bloodshed and be respected internationally.

In past years from the beginning NEP was formulated, UMNO had always used the National Economic Policy (NEP) to pull the malay population together to support UMNO, but can UMNO continue to fool us forever? You can fool a person one time, but, not all the time and you can fool some people, but, not all people and people are not fools at all times!

The NEP was supposed to help the bumiputeras, but, the real questions are who among the bumiputera that had benefited from this NEP? Was there equal distribution of the economic cake among the many indigenous bumiputera people of Borneo from the NEP? Then, again, who among the malay bumiputera should benefit from the NEP? Were those who benefited from the NEP belonged to UMNOputeras only or to only certain UMNOputeras in the corridor of power?

NEP was supposed to take care of all the bumiputeras equally, but, this NEP had failed. If there had been equal distribution of wealth and opportunities under the NEP then, there could not be any reason why in recent years many left UMNO with some joining other political parties or organizations and with PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim and many Malay intellectuals coming out openly to criticize the NEP and seeking the NEP to be abolished. The only conclusion for this is that they saw no equality among the bumiputera to benefit from the NEP.

To the Chinese and Indians and other indigenous races in Borneo, to them NEP was supposed to eradicate poverty irrespective of race and colour, instead, NEP had made them very disillusioned that made them to call for the protection of their rights which saw some support from the Malays that were marginalized by UMNO and by those in the Corridors of Power.

A distinguished Dayak leader some years ago said that the Dayaks were very much lagging behind other races in Malaysia! Why this was so? If NEP did play a big role to raise their standard of living and livelihood, such a remark should not be forthcoming! It is a matter of time that Dayaks may rise up to demand better rights and to clear the rot! Dayaks are nice and obliging people, but, if we cornered them to an extent that they could no more breath, we may one day be sorry for Malaysia!
At the moment Dayaks always stood firm behind BN and UMNO must know Dayaks and other indigenious people in Borneo always in each election helped BN gain two-thirds majority in Parliament. UMNO should be thankful to them!
Sarawak has thousands of dayak longhouses and many of their native lands had been taken away and despite having joined Malaysia for 44 years, I could not find a single longhouse that has been given a title under the Land Code by the government! They had been left out politically and are squatters in their own land!

Now it is clear that the present crisis and problems in this country that sucks into the judiciary, police, Anti-Corruption Agency, Attorney-General's Office, the civil service and people in high places including Ministers was due to the failure of the NEP. UMNO should by now realize that the raising of the Kris would not help Malay and Malaysian Unity.Instead, it will further create disunity among races and among the Malay themselves.

Other races in Malaysia, especially, the Chinese had wanted the NEP to be abolished as it was not only seen as having the smell of apartheid and inequality, and inequaltiy is not only to other races, but also inequlaity among the malay themselves.It is a policy that will divide the many races in Malaysia further apart. UMNO should know that the NEP was a policy that created many Malay anti-establishment groups that now saw them marching with Chinese, Indians and other marginalized races to Dataran Merdeka yesterday demanding Malaysian rights, not Malay Rights and definitely Not Ketuanan Melayu and Not the showing of the Kris!
UMNO should know that these Malay anti-establishment groups will not forgive UMNO and will take the lead to challeng the Malays in UMNO. UMNO should realise it is no more an issue or race, but, an issue of rights, equality and justice for all.

The march to Dataran Merdeka which was successfully organized by Bersih is now a hope to all Malaysians irrespective or race, religion or creed to see People Supremacy challenging UMNO Supremacy which we hope can in the very near future change the political landscape of Malaysia.
A day will come where every Malaysia will respect Ketuanan Malaysia, Bangsa Malaysia, where there would be equaltiy and justice among Malaysians and where everyone be treated the same irrespective of colour, race or creed.
To Bersih and those who put put your lives in danger and who braved the rain and arrests, congratulations to you!!
Save Malaysia, save the rot!

Thursday, November 8, 2007

砂州立法议会会议 10 大问题

以下是我在今年第二季即11月召开的卅立法议会上 ,将提出十项口头问题,要求有关部长回答.

这十大问题概括20题涉及民生, 电费抵押金,石油开采税,电流费,废铁收购,保障砂沙权益,改善主要城市公共交通,公共基本设施,建新诊疗所,提升砂卅成为体育强卅等问题。

以下为十项问题内容:

(1) 询问能源策划部长

(i) 是否能以用户缴予砂电力机构的抵押金所得利息,作为缴还用户部分电流费或把利息归还用户,假如不能这样做,为什么?
(ii) 从工业用户,商业用户与家庭用户所收到的抵押金有多少?这些抵押金供作什么用途或何种投资?假如是这样,请给予完整详情。
(iii) 工业发展部长于2007年5月18日透露,公众要求检讨工业电流费猛涨,我们是否能知道当局采取什么行动与建议?
(iv) 由於电费涨价导致必需品水涨船高,当局是否能调低家用电费,以纾缓 人民生活沉重负担?假如不能,为什么?

(2) 询问基本设施发展部长

(i) 要多久才能修建或提升巴都林当选区以下在许久前已要求改善的道路: (1). 金生路 (2)英丹路 ( 3)凤梨路 (4)东方花园路 (5)香蕉露西段 (6)云天花园路 (7) 格巴央路 (8)盐柴港乌鲁第六巷?
(ii) 为何在巴都林当选区,以下道路只有部分路段获修建,虽然已要求整条路进行修建?(1)安沙娜路 (2)中路。

(3) 询问财政部长

(i) 自从2006年5月砂州大选后,砂州政府或代表有采取什么行动去向联邦争取提高石油与煤气开采税及管理产品权利?假如在这段时间已在争取,请公众详情。假如没有采取行动争取,原因何在?
(ii) 是否能把石油与煤气开采税所得,以每月分发福利金的方式,让州内乐龄人士与低收入者受惠?假如不能这样做,原因何在?

(4) 询问财政部长

在过去5年砂州的每一个联邦部门每年收益多少?在这期间的总收益,有多少会拔回给砂州充作发展和砂州用途?

(5) 询问地方政府部长

(i) 把1946年二手商业品交易法令延伸到砂州面对什么难题?砂州政府在过去一年采取什么跟进行动?
(ii) 在过去3年,有多少公司和人士因涉嫌偷窃和收购贼赃包括金属和废铁而被补及控上法庭?他们遭遇到什么惩罚?
(iii) 政府是否有追查涉及商业化偷窃和收购废铁与失窃金属贼赃的集团或操控者?政府采取什么行动来遏止他们的非法活动和政府的行动取得何种成效?

(6) 询问首席部长

(i) 砂州政府是否将成立一个成员包括反对党州议员和砂州闻人的特工队,以检讨及以联邦政府再协商在成立马来西亚时达致保护砂沙两州的20 点契约?假如没有这样的打算,原因何在?
(ii) 砂州政府是否将成立一个委员会,深入研究,在20点契约下砂州的权益仍获得保护吗?假如没有,为什么?砂州政府将采取什么补救行动?

(7) 询问基本设施与通讯部长

(i) 自从邀请地方议会作出改善建议后,砂州政府采取什么行动来改善砂州主要城市地区的公共交通,特别是古晋,美里与诗巫?
(ii) 砂州政府迄今是否已要求联邦政府协助研究一项砂州公共交通系统长期计划?我们也要求聆听有关发展,建议和推行 简报。

(8) 询问城市发展部长

鉴於古晋达闽再也,实都东徙置区与BDC地区人口剧增,是否在接下来3年会在这些区内提供下列的公共设施:(i)政府卫生诊疗所 (ii)公共图书馆 (iii)乐龄人士娱乐中心 (iv)一个体育场所?假如没有的话, 原因何在?

(9) 询问财政部长

根据国家稽查局报告,当局在1999年耗资1千5百65万令吉,充作提升巴都林当水务局第一座大厅,然而却没有启用;1998年建设的食水过滤站也没有获古晋水务局启用,请问当局采取什么行动应对?

(10) 询问社会发展与城市化部长

(i) 砂州体育理事会采取什么策略使砂州到2010年成为体育强州,如足球,羽球,田径和赛车?
(ii) 假如这些策略已拟定和推行,成效如何及应该怎样进一步提升这些策略?


谢谢